Patients needing abdominal wall reconstruction are those with large ventral hernias and excess skin and fat mainly below the belly button. Certain patients with a midline abdominal hernia may benefit greatly by the release of their rectus abdominis muscles (the muscles responsible for a 6-pack) from their side attachments to allow them to be shifted to the middle. This procedure known as a ‘components separation’ aims to restore the natural anatomy that has been obliterated as a result of the hernia. When combined with the placement of a mesh this technique provides a reliable long-term solution to this oftentimes debilitating condition. Plastic surgeons are uniquely well suited to performing this procedure, as their expertise is in the movement of bodily tissues, especially muscle, to treat a wide variety of possible defects.